The Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, has suggested that sentencing guidelines should be reviewed to compel convicted drug offenders to engage in community service, including washing toilets in their community.
Fagbemi made the call while speaking at the commissioning of 46 operational vehicles for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in Abuja on Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
According to him, such measures could deter others from engaging in illicit drug activities.
“Those who are convicted of a criminal offence involving an illicit drug usage and sentenced to hard labour should be taken to their local government or village to do this hard work. It may be another point that we should consider very seriously, and maybe this will deter them,” he said.
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“When you see somebody who has been dealing in illegal drugs and you ask him to pick papers or wash toilets, that may also be a deterrent.”
Marwa lauds procurement of vehicles for NDLEA
For his part, NDLEA chairman, Brig. General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) described the procurement of the vehicles as “symbolic and historic,” noting that it marked the first time in the agency’s 35-year history that official cars had been provided for commanders.
he new fleet, which consists of 36 Mecanno SUVs and 10 Mecanno executive sedans, will be deployed to directors, zonal commanders, and state commanders across the country.
Marwa linked Nigeria’s security challenges to drug abuse, saying that armed robbery, kidnapping, terrorism, insurgency, and cult violence are all fuel illicit substances.
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According to the NDLEA chairman, between January 2024 and June 2025, the agency seized over 1 billion pills of Tramadol, 14.4 million bottles of codeine, 5.5 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs, destroyed 700 hectares of cannabis farms, and arrested 40,887 offenders.
“Every ground seized, every suspect arrested, every drug user rehabilitated contributes to building a safer and healthier Nigeria,” he stated.
